Course Correction
by skyfire146
Summary: No matter what you do, the future has a way of course-correcting itself. Five years after the defeat of the fell dragon Grima, everything begins to fall apart again. A grown-up Lucina won't let it happen. Chrom/F!Robin, undecided Lucina pairing, and many more.


**Finally, my Awakening muse has manifested itself in a story! I've spent so much time trying to write a worthwhile piece of fiction about his game, as it is simply fantastic. They really went all the way with this game- the voice actors, the graphics, the characters. It's superb and, if not for my intense nostalgia for Sacred Stones and Rekka no Ken, I would say that this is my favorite Fire Emblem game.**

**Anyway, this is a little plot bunny that came into my head after a good deal of thinking and, to be honest, a bit of an influence from Lost's idea of time travel. The whole idea of course correction (just because a disaster is averted once doesn't mean that the future won't try to fix itself afterwards) really took a hold of me. As I mentioned in the summary, the two main pairings will likely be Chrom/F!Robin and an undecided Lucina pairing. A have a few ideas of who I want to pair her with, but I'm just going to let it take me where it may. Other various pairings will be revealed as the story goes on and I'll see what I want to emphasize. Anyway, YAY! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own it. Cool.**

* * *

"CHROM!"

The harried-looking exalt burst into the room, attempting to walk quickly while still putting on one of his shoes. This resulted in a hop-walk that was most undignified and probably quite endearing. Robin, however, had no time for such things.

She adjusted his clothing as she talked, acting quite businesslike. "Listen. Lissa took the kids to school. I have people waiting for me with information and a boatload of papers to sort through. You need to do your exalt thing and remember that the Plegian dignitaries will be here soon. Also, don't forget, Luci has been bugging you for weeks to go riding with her. Later today. Promise me."

"Promise," Chrom nodded as she patted down his slight bed-head.

"It's not like you to sleep late," she frowned, looking him in the eye. "Everything okay?"

"Just tired," he replied, smiling slightly. "Not much time for anything these days."

"Okay," she gave him one last pat, smiling back at him. "Go get 'em, Tiger."

But he caught her chin before she turned away, thumb tracing below her lip, and he gave her a small smile. "Hey. I love you."

Her face almost instantly broke into a grin as she grabbed his hand, leaning forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Love you too, honey. Have a good day!"

So began the day of the exalt and the chief tacitician of Ylisse, two people who also happened to be married to each other.

Ylisse was seemingly in good hands.

* * *

"You're late, milord."

Chrom grinned good-naturedly at his loyal retainer. "Yes, Frederick. Don't worry, I already got it from Robin this morning."

"I'm just saying, sir. You're late."

"And you were on time, I'm sure," the almost-exalt answered, absent-mindedly scanning the papers on his desk.

In doing so, he missed Frederick's affronted look. "Never, sir. I was early."

Chrom paused, sighing. "Yes, I should have known."

He went back to shuffling through a desk, looking thoughtful. Frederick shuffled uneasily, crossing his arms. "Are you looking for the pegasus knight recruitment report, sir?"

The blue-haired prince was still looking furiously. "Yes."

Frederick simply stepped forward, unfolded his arms, plucked said paper from a stack on the corner of Chrom's desk, and handed it to him. "I suggest that we spend some time today sorting your paperwork files."

Chrom winced. "You have a point. It's been a while, hasn't it? Do we have the time?"

"I think we can fit an hour after the trade meeting. If not, I can always do it later tonight."

"Nonsense, Frederick," Chrom waved him off, finally sitting down. "I can't have you working overtime. Panne will have my head and you don't see Yarne enough as it is."

"Yes, milord," he answered neutrally, although Chrom knew that he was secretly pleased. Although at one point in his life, Frederick might have been single-mindedly dedicated to his work, Panne and Yarne were first in his heart now. "Whatever you think."

"Well, what's first on the agenda?" He paused, another thought flashing into his mind. "Wait, any word from Miriel?"

"Nothing, sir."

Chrom looked preoccupied. "I hope she's alright."

"You sent a full guard of knights with her. And it's only the Plegian library, sir. She knows how to handle herself."

"I know, I know," he muttered in response. "I suppose I just still don't trust the Plegians. And I just wonder how she's coming along with her research."

"Well, if anyone can figure this out, it's her."

Chrom sighed. "Alright, I see your logic, Frederick. I won't rush a researcher at work. Just let me know when there's any word. What's first on the schedule?"

"The speechwriters would like to talk to you about your Victory Day speech to the city."

"Alright, alright," Chrom settled behind his desk for a long day. "Call them up."

* * *

On the castle grounds below, the training grounds were run with an iron fist.

"I want those knees higher, you load of pansies. Let's go! Cry when you get home to your mothers, not to me!"

"I like what you're doing with the place, Sully."

The red-head grinned wolfishly, her hand shifting on her spear as she gripped it better. "Hey, Robin. Want to join in?"

The tactician snorted, crossing her arms. "Perhaps if I had suicidal tendencies."

The paladin shrugged. "Good enough reason. What can I do for you?"

"I want to know how the recruits are doing," she answered, nodding to the mob of youngsters currently running circles. Recruitment was one of the country's top priorities at this point, given all of the destruction that had happened during the war.

Sully winced. "Well, they're still a bunch of greenlings. At the stage of training right now where their legs are about to give out. Give 'em another three weeks or so and they'll be hardened. But I wouldn't recommend any movement on their part until then." She paused in her conversation with Robin, turning to her trainees. "STOP! Drop down and give me push-ups until I tell you to stop." She turned back to the tactician. "Why? Are you going to need them soon?"

Robin sighed, ruffling her bangs with one hand. "I really just want to be able to rely on these troops to defend Ylisstol. We're just stretched too thin, Sully. I want to recommend to Chrom that we pull some people back, but I know he won't like it. Even five years later, we still pay the price for this war. There's villages trying to find a way to defend themselves, bandits still roaming, crops that aren't growing as well as they used to. The Risen ruined us. We're just trying to claw our way back. I really need these new recruits as soon as possible."

"I'll do my best. But you and Chrom will guide us back. I know you will," Sully answered with assurance. "I mean, I wouldn't send Kjelle to the same school as Lucina and Morgan if I didn't think so."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence," Robin replied, grinning.

"Yeah," the red-headed paladin gave a wry smile. "Don't let it get to your head."

"Never," Robin answered in mock-solemnity. "Not when I've got you around to bash in my head."

Sully laughed in response, slowly turning to her recruits, who Robin had been wondering if she had forgotten about. Several of them were collapsed on the ground, wheezing, while others were still attempting to do push-ups.

"Alright, you lot, go get some water. I don't want you all collapsing and going to the infirmary like a bunch of wimps."

Robin elbowed the horsewoman, grinning. "Aw, Sully. You going soft?"

"Go push some papers or something, tactician," Sully answered with a half-scowl, half-grin.

"Okay, I'm outta your hair. See you around."

"Say hi to Chrom for me."

"Say hi to Lon'qu."

Robin headed back for the tower where she worked, mind processing quickly and worry etched into the edges of her face. Part of seeing Sully had been to get some fresh air, but part was to try to put a bit more pressure on her to get the recruits turned around quickly. Robin wanted it done right, but she also knew that Sully wasn't the one to take shortcuts. It was a toss-up between time and quality, but even a day or two earlier could help.

She sighed. At least she hadn't been having any problem with the kids yet today.

* * *

Lissa, princess of Ylisse and all-around best aunt/mother ever, was in a bit of a pickle.

It came in the muddy, dripping wet form of three kids that were supposed to be at the castle's school.

Part of her wanted to laugh at the glum picture they made, but she put her hands on her hips, made her best serious face, and channeled her inner mom. "Well, then. What happened here?"

Lucina's face was extremely solemn as she began to explain their predicament. "Well, you see, Aunt Lissa, Owain and Morgan and I were at class, where you dropped us off, and our teacher let us have a break and-"

Lissa had seen the excitement gradually building on her own son's face until he apparently couldn't hold it in any longer and he burst, cutting Lucina off quite efficiently. "I spotted a foul dragon across the courtyard. He had big teeth, like this, Ma," he demonstrated the size with his mouth and fingers, for visual effect, "And fire breath and he was going to destroy the whole castle and steal you away." He paused and grinned, looking quite satisfied with himself. "But, don't worry, we stopped him."

Lissa let out a breath, sighing with relief. "Well, thank goodness. I thought I was going to have to tell Uncle Chrom about that and then he'd have to summon all his knights and who knows how messy that battle would be? Good thing I have my super cute son and niece and nephew to take care of it!"

This cued a pinch cheek for Owain, who warded his mother off with a scowl. "No, Ma, we're not cute! We're awesome and cool and super kickbutt. Tell her, Morgan."

The four-year-old nodded, breaking out into a grin. "Yeah!"

"And Lucina agrees too. Right, Luci?"

The little girl gave her cousin a tentative side-glance and, after seeing his cheerful face, smiled hesitantly. "Uh… Yeah."

Lissa gave them a stern once-over. "Still. That doesn't explain why you are all soaking wet. Defeat as many dragons as you want, but when you get sent home from school because you're tracking water everywhere, there's going to be a problem."

Lucina hurriedly explained. "Well, when Owain was changing toward the dragon, he tripped and fell into the pond-"

"And Lucina jumped in to stop me from drowning," her cousin continued.

"Severa tripped him," Morgan announced proudly.

"No, she didn't," Owain hastily denied, scowling.

"But the water wasn't very deep," Lucina said, face quite serious. "So Owain didn't need any saving after all."

Lissa just stood there for a moment, trying to process the chaos that was happening in front of her. "Sooo… Why is Morgan wet?"

"He just thought it looked like fun, so he jumped in, too," Lucina explained for her little brother.

Morgan grinned broadly, giving a thumbs up.

"Oh, Naga," Lissa sighed. "Well, let's go. Let's get you three cleaned up."

Morgan and Owain ran for their respective rooms, tracking water everywhere that Lissa resolved would not be left for the poor maids to clean. Lucina, however, stayed behind, her hands folded in front of her. Lissa waited for her to speak.

"You're not going to tell Father, are you?"

She looked at the girl's wide eyes and dark hair and reflected on how much she looked just like Chrom and, yet, had the determined stance and way with words of her mother. She had so much riding on her, so many expectations. Even Lissa could see the effect that she had on everyone around her. In a lot of ways, Lucina was the future.

Lissa had waited too long to respond and Lucina continued, letting it all spill out. "It's just that he's supposed to take me riding later and I was just trying to help Owain and Morgan just likes to do everything that we do. Just let me explain it. I'll tell him, I promise."

Lissa couldn't help it. She giggled at the girl's solemn face, finding her too cute to continue taking her seriously. "I don't think we need to bother your father with something silly like this. It'll be our little secret, okay?"

Little Lucina nodded and then gave a small smile. "Thanks, Aunt Lissa."

"And thank you for watching out for Owain," the princess grinned, ruffling the little girl's hair. "He goes charging into thing much too often. It's good to know that he has his big cousin looking out for him."

"We'll always look out for each other," the girl answered, skipping off to her room to change. "It's what family does. That's what Father says, anyway."

And, many, many miles away, their future selves apparently had already made this same agreement.

* * *

"I don't like this."

Owain looked at his traveling companion. "Nonsense. You worry too much."

"Owain. You're not the one with the mark of the exalt in your eye. It's quite obvious."

"Fie. I don't need to show my mark of the exalt. When people see my skill with a blade and my stout heart, they know of my noble bloodline."

"Yes, well, do try to tone it down, then. We are trying to keep a low profile."

Owain followed his cousin, grumbling under his breath. "One does not simply 'tone down' the blood of a scion."

Lucina of Ylisse, exalt in a different world, led the way through the dark streets of the Plegia capital, cloak sweeping behind her. Owain's taller, more ungainly figure trailed, and yet, for all his nonchalance, his hand was still on his sword hilt.

_Or it could just be that his sword hand hungers for justice, _Lucina thought wryly, smiling to herself. She did that a lot when she traveled with him. Smiled. He made everyone smile. He had the same plucky courage as his mother and she valued that more than he could possibly know. She was cutting herself off from the world slowly, doing her best, but she couldn't cut herself off from him.

"You really think that the answer could be here?"

"I think that, if it is, we'll find it."

"Nothing will stand in our way! Pray, Lucina, will us two heroes be scaling the walls of the castle or will we bluff our way in or will we merely draw our swords and they will stand aside? What's the plan? You can count on me!"

Lucina looked thoughtful. "Well, we'll find an inn in the city to stay at for now. Then, I suppose we'll go through legal channels and apply for entrance."

Owain looked fairly put-out. "Oh."

"You'll have to be the one to do that, though. I fear that I may be too recognizable. So, go… Impress them with your noble… self."

He face lit up once again. "Yes! They'll stand no chance. Fie, brigands, come face me on your own two feet. I'll-"

"He's not talking to us, is he?"

Lucina turned around sharply to see a group of men loitering that she had missed in her haste to find an inn. Their leader looked like a bulky fellow and Lucina wasn't looking to get into any trouble.

Owain looked affronted. "If you answer to brigand, then, yes, certainly-"

Lucina elbowed him in the gut, driving the breath out of his lungs and effectively shutting him up. "No, he wasn't."

"You two Ylisseans?" He questioned, face still in the shadows and hands busy playing with a dagger. "Maybe you came with the convoy. 'Ave anything valuable on you?"

"What convoy?" Lucina asked, immediately honing in on any kind of news from Ylisse.

Having recovered from his wheezing, Owain gave her an incredulous look. "Um, did you miss the part where he wants to rob us?"

The man leered at them both, taking a step closer. "All I know is that the Ylisseans are here. Some red-head egghead mage leading them. We saw them on the way in, thought we might rob them, but heard that the mage type was some war hero. We'll settle for you guys, though."

"Must be Miriel," Lucina mumbled thoughtfully. "Perhaps she has the same idea as us. We'll have to avoid her, though. I can't-"

"Back, fiend! My sword hand twitches. Lucina, to arms!"

The girl looked up, apparently having just noticed the men closing in around them. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword.

All of a sudden, there was an earsplitting crack, like a giant peal of thunder, but there was not a cloud in the sky. The group of robbers shrank back, cowering as the wind picked up and the sky suddenly lightened from the black of the night to turn a strange shade of purple. Lucina gripped Owain's forearm as the two of them also flinched, and a rising current of fear filled her.

"Luce! Lucina! LUCINA!"

_It was the beast, it was the dragon, the one who killed her parents and most likely killed her brother and it stood in front of her with its mouth of terrible teeth and eyes that glared with hatred. Here was the devil. Here was Grima. Here was her mother._

And, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The wind died down and the sky resumed its normal color and Owain's shaking brought her back to the real world (or was the other world the one that was real?). The corners of Owain's mouth were tight with worry and she smiled at him, noticing the creases of consternation on his forehead. She was so glad he was here.

"Luce, you okay?"

"Yes, I'm alright," she sighed tiredly, rising from where she had dropped to one knee. "But we have to move fast, Owain, and we have to move now. Let's get in contact with Miriel."

"I thought you said we were going to avoid her?" The boy answered, trying to help Lucina to her feet despite the fact that she didn't need it. She pretended not to notice that his hands were shaking. He had felt it too.

"Things have changed."

She pulled at his wrist and he followed, leaving behind the now-forgotten robbers.

_She had a feeling that one day this would happen. She had never believed that it was over. That's why she traveled, that's why she never went home- it would never be over. Not while she and the other older kids were still here. _

_ She had already lost everything once and her purpose still remained the same: She wouldn't let _anything _happen to this world._


End file.
